Regaining Our Trust

When I was growing up, it meant everything to my mother and father. My dad applied it to people he hired. "It's nice if they're smart," he would say. "It's nicer if they're loyal. It's nicest of all, if they're both."

His message was simple: He'd rather have a loyal idiot than a disloyal snake. The snake might be more cunning, but he'll invariably get you in trouble.

Looking at recent events, I think he was on to something.

A lot of companies have been acting like snakes. Taking your money, but not commanding your trust. They got sleezy, now you're uneasy. They try to sell you a bill of goods, but you refuse to pick up the check.

Trust is broken.

It started with Enron and Arthur Andersen.

It spread to other energy names — like Dynegy and Halliburton — to telecom concerns — like Global Crossing and Lucent Technologies — to financial giants — like Merrill Lynch — or retailers — like K-Mart — or, a family-run cable enterprise — like Adelphia Communications.

Different issues, same theme: deceit.

Good money chasing bad companies doing very bad things. And now the people with that money — investors — are saying, no more.

We won't buy you, because we don't believe you. We don't like you, or your shifty accounting practices and ethical standards.

Now, people are saying, the shift has hit the fan. No more. And companies and analysts are aghast: How do we get them back?

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Neil Cavuto serves as senior vice president, anchor and managing editor for both FOX News Channel (FNC) and FOX Business Network (FBN). He is anchor of FNC's Your World with Cavuto - the number one rated cable news program for the 4 p.m. timeslot - as well as the FNC Saturday show Cavuto on Business. He also hosts Cavuto on FBN weeknights at 8 p.m. In addition to anchoring daily programs and breaking news specials on FNC and FBN, Cavuto oversees business news content for both networks and FNC's weekend business shows, including Bulls & Bears, Forbes on Fox, and Cashin' In. Click here for more on Neil Cavuto.